Politics & Government

Donald Trump’s running mate? Here are 22 possibilities

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New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (R) introduces US presidential hopeful Donald Trump during a rally March 14, 2016 in Vienna Center, Ohio. A pair of alpha males from New York-New Jersey. Christie ran a tough-talking, if short-lived, run for the White House, then shocked the GOP establishment by endorsing the equally macho Trump. BRENDAN SMIALOWSKIAFP/Getty Images

Maricopa County, Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio speaks during a rally for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at the South Point Hotel & Casino on February 22, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Picking the Arizona lawman with a reputation for profiling Hispanic immigrants would reinforce Trump’s crowd-pleasing pledge to build ‘The Wall’ and make Mexico pay for it. Ethan MillerGetty Images

Former Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) talks to guest before Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at a town hall event on April 2, 2016 in Racine, Wisconsin. The former Alaska governor has become a punchline for late-night TV comics, but she still has a following among many in the Republican base. And she has some experience at this running mate thing. Darren HauckGetty Images

New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez speaks during the 2016 annual New York State Republican Gala on April 14, 2016 in New York City. Choosing the governor of New Mexico - a swing state Ð would signal Trump wants to make up with women and Hispanics. His unfavorable ratings among both are sky-high. Eduardo Munoz AlvarezGetty Images

South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley addresses the crowd during a campaign rally for Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio at Clemson University Friday, February 19, 2016 in Clemson, South Carolina. Trump could play the woman’s card with this rising Republican star. South Carolina is a GOP gimme, but HaleyÕs deft handling of the Confederate flag issue and her own personal story - the daughter of Indian immigrants who came to the U.S. legally - could bring more voters to the ticket. Sean RayfordGetty Images

U.S. Senator Tim Scott, Republican of South Carolina, speaks during the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) 2016 at National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland, outside Washington, March 3, 2016. A hero to conservatives and the only African-American Republican in the Senate, South Carolina’s Scott might help Trump make inroads into the black community – now a Hillary Clinton stronghold she’s counting on to win. SAUL LOEBAFP/Getty Images

Former Speaker of the House of Representatives Newt Gingrich and his wife, Callista, arrive for funeral services for former First Lady Nancy Reagan at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library on March 11, 2016, in Simi Valley, California. House speaker in the 1990s, when another Clinton was president, Gingrich has experience going after Hillary and Bill. He could also add some meat to Trump’s thin policy proposals – and help him govern with a conservative agenda if he wins. FREDERIC J. BROWNAFP/Getty Images

Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) speaks during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Capitol Hill, February 2, 2016 in Washington, DC. Another rising GOP star, Ernst hails from another swing state - Iowa - and could help Trump on Capitol Hill. She sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee and served in the Gulf War as a lieutenant colonel in the Army National Guard. Mark WilsonGetty Images

Retired Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis speaks during the DIRECTV and Operation Gratitude day of service at the fifth annual DIRECTV Dealer Revolution Conference at Caesars Palace on July 23, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada. A 44-year veteran, the retired Marine Corps four-star general could be Trump’s go-to guy if he suddenly becomes commander-in-chief and needs a crash-course on the world’s hots spots. Mattis, a former commander of Central Command, is so popular with conservative elites that they’ve launched a campaign to get him to run as a third-party alternative to Trump and Clinton. Bryan Steffy

Former Republican presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson poses with Maine delegates at the state GOP Convention, Friday, April 22, 2016, in Bangor, Maine. The retired neurosurgeon is still a favorite with conservative Christians, though not enough of them voted for him to keep his run for president alive. His low-key approach contrasts with Trump’s loud style. But they are both political neophytes who could run a campaign to bulldoze the Washington establishment. Robert F. BukatyAP

Franklin Graham , the North Carolina-based evangelist and son of legendary Billy Graham is already on the campaign trail - he’s holding rallies in all 50 states this year to fire up evangelical Christian voters. Graham has no government experience, but he does run two large ministries. And he called for blocking Muslim immigrants months before Trump did. T. Ortega Gainesogaines@charlotteobserver.com

Chairman of Icahn Enterprises Carl Icahn participates in a panel discussion at the New York Times 2015 DealBook Conference at the Whitney Museum of American Art on November 3, 2015 in New York City. On the stump, Trump often mentions his fellow billionaire businessman as a pal who could get things done for his administration - like negotiate a tough deal with China. A New York magnate and investor with a history of hostile takeovers, Icahn could amplify Trump’s sweeping claims that he’ll run the government like a business. Neilson BarnardGetty Images for New York Times

Former Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) takes the stage at a campaign event at the Team Marco headquarters March 13, 2016 in Orlando, Florida. Trump dismissed him as ‘Little Marco’ when the Florida senator was his opponent. But as he readies a fall campaign, The Donald could use Rubio’s polish, his ties to the Hispanic community, and his support from the GOP establishment. Win McNameeGetty Images

Republican presidential candidate Ohio Governor John Kasich takes a question from a boy during a town hall meeting in Rockville, Maryland on April 25, 2016. No Republican has ever won the White House without carrying Ohio. That’s reason enough to make peace with Kasich, one of Trump’s (barely) surviving opponents for the GOP nomination. The Ohio governor also could help Trump appeal to independents and disaffected Democrats. YURI GRIPASAFP/Getty Images

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker campaigns for Republican presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) at the 2510 Restaurant on April 3, 2016 in Wausau, Wisconsin. Once thought to be the Republican to beat for the party’s 2016 presidential nomination, the Wisconsin governor is still a hero to many conservatives for fighting public employee unions and beating the Democrats in a swing state. A combative campaigner, Walker could also play a role in Trump’s hopes of competing with Clinton in the Rust Belt. Scott OlsonGetty Images

TV personalities Joe Scarborough, left, and Mika Brzezinski attend the 2014 Vanity Fair Oscar Party hosted by Graydon Carter on March 2, 2014 in West Hollywood, California. By tapping the host of MSNBC’s ‘Morning Joe,’ Trump would bet that American politics in 2016 has become so celebrity-friendly that the star of a reality TV show can draw huge crowds and beat senators and governors at the polls. And in addition to his household name, Scarborough would bring Washington experience to the ticket: He used to be a GOP congressman from Florida. Pascal Le SegretainGetty Images

Clint Eastwood attends the Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood Expansion Official Unveiling, Stage 48: Script To Screen at Warner Bros. Studios on July 14, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. Yes, the Hollywood actor-director is 85 and bombed at the last Republican convention by conversing with an empty chair on stage. But the star of ÒDirty HarryÓ did serve as mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea, Calif. (1986-88) and Ronald Reagan started as a movie actor, too. Adding Clint to the GOP ticket would make many voters’ day. Jason Kempin

Jesse Ventura speaking about his book “They Killed Our President” October 4, 2013 in Washington, DC. The one-time professional wrestler is a pioneer in the club Trump hopes to join in November: Celebrities who got elected to a top office. In 1998, Ventura ran and won as the Reform Party candidate for governor of Minnesota. He didn’t run for re-election, but he’s stayed on top of political issues and is hosting a TV show – a skill Trump can appreciate. BRENDAN SMIALOWSKIAFP/Getty Images

Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump hugs former Massachusetts senator Scott Brown as he endorses him for president during a campaign event at Hampshire Hills Athletic Club on February 2, 2016 in Milford, Iowa. Trump himself floated Brown’s name as a possible running mate, telling a New Hampshire crowd in January that the former U.S. senator from Massachusetts would make a ‘very good’ vice president. ‘And he’s central casting,’ added Trump, probably a reference to Brown’s movie-star looks rather than his decision to pose nude for Cosmopolitan magazine in 1982. Joe RaedleGetty Images

Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) (C) arrives to hear Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump deliver a speech about his vision for foreign policy at the Mayflower Hotel April 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. The Alabama senator, who shares Trump’s hard-core stand against illegal immigration, is still the only member of the U.S. Senate to endorse Trump. He also advises the campaign. Alabama is a sure win for Trump in November with or without Sessions on the ticket. But with media reports indicating that most GOP senators and governors would refuse a Trump invitation to run with him, Sessions has said he’d be happy to undergo the vetting process to be No. 2 on the ticket. Chip SomodevillaGetty Images

Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin proposes increasing the cigarette tax and expanding the sales tax to a variety of services that are currently exempt as a way to close an estimated $900 million hole in next year's budget during her State of the State address, Monday, Feb. 1, 2016 in Oklahoma City. The Oklahoma governor has also reportedly told allies that she is open to the idea of joining Trump for a national race. Trump needs help repairing his breach with women voters, many of whom have been offended by his comments denigrating everybody from Carly Fiorina to FOX News anchor Megyn Kelly. J Pat CarterAP

Florida Gov. Rick Scott gestures as he speaks during a luncheon at the Republican National Committee Spring Meeting, Thursday, April 21, 2016, in Hollywood, Fla. Like Trump, the Florida governor is a successful businessman who first got elected without the support of the Republican establishment. Scott’s biggest advantage is where he lives: In recent decades, no Republican has been elected president without carrying swing-state Florida, with its 29 electoral votes. After Trump won the Florida primary this year, Scott endorsed him, saying “the voters have spoken.” Wilfredo LeeAP